Between the Worlds
by BenXGwen Lightning Warrior
Summary: What if "Fanning the Flames" had started with Danny dreaming about Ember McLain's death? How would that change the episode? Here’s a hint: Sam’s not happy, and Danny is caught in a tug of war. (I own nothing. DannyxEmber; xSamDanny)
1. Fanning the Flames (of my Heart)

Fanning the Flames (of my Heart)

Daniel "Danny" Fenton tossed and turned in his bed, gripped in the treacherous binds of a nightmare. Fire…it roared around him. The smoke filled his lungs and burned in his eyes, but the hero was determined to save the girl in the middle of the flames. Danny tried to reach within himself and use his ghostly power, but he could not find it! Determination setting into his face, Danny fought the cloudiness in his mind and continued to crawl toward the brunette girl. Danny called out.

"I'm *cough* *cough* here to save you!"

As she turned to him with a sad smile, Danny reeled back because her eyes were ectoplasmic green! Unfortunately, Danny bumped into a support timber in his shocked state and gasped as he heard it give with a loud *crack!* Danny stared in fear as the burning roof above the teenage girl groaned and fell on her.

Danny jarred awake with a single name leaping from his lips: "AMBER!"

Danny sat up in his bed in a cold sweat. The young teen looked around his room and heard a pair of feet running to the room.

Danny prayed it wouldn't be his psycho parents because he had a feeling this recurring dream had to do with his ghost hero side. _Please, let it be Jazz._

As he looked at the door, half expecting it to be blown to bits by a weapon in his Dad's hand, Danny tensed, readying for a fight if need be. Relief flooded the young Halfling when Jazz burst through the door with worry on her face.

The older sister slowed down her approach to Danny's bedside once she saw Danny was not being attacked and sat down on the edge of his bed. "What was it this time, Little Brother?"

Danny gave a small smile when he saw Jazz had a notebook and pencil in hand. "It's been the same dream for about two weeks." Danny began. "I'm in a burning house, and this girl is trapped inside with me. I try to access my powers to find I can't. Then, she looks at me and smiles before the house collapses on her. Then, I wake up."

Jazz tapped her chin in thought. "Is anything different about this time around?"

Danny gave a slight nod as he scratched the back of his head in nervous embarrassment. "Her name is Amber."

Jazz nodded. "I think you have repressed memories Danny. They were triggered by the accident that gave you your powers."

Danny's eyes widened. "You mean from a past life."

Jazz nodded before she got up from the bed with a kind, almost maternal smile. "Try to get some sleep, Danny." She told him gently before she walked out and turned off the light.

In the Ghost Zone, Clockwork, Master of Time, smiled as his constantly shifting form stayed as a young man for a fraction of a second longer. "Showtime…" The ghost said as his viewing window swirled with ectoplasmic energy as the Timekeeper watched Danny and his sister. "Revive her heart, Daniel, and good luck."

As Ember and her band left the GZ, Ember tried to shake the foul mood she was in thanks to Skulker but couldn't. To make her feel better, the Ghost Rocker decided she needed a power boost to show Skulker who was boss, and the whole world was her target audience. Starting simply, she leaked her song on the net. Then, she set up a tour beginning in Amity Park.

"Love is for suckers," Ember grumbled as she prepared. "You'd think a girl would learn."

A small part of Ember that still remembered the boy who caused this whole landslide of events cried out to feel warmth and love again, not just mindless adoration her music produced.

Danny couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. The burning flames roared through his mind. _What were you doing in that house, Amber?_ Danny thought as he lay in bed and listened to sounds of the night.

When day came, Danny sighed. It was almost great…until a mentally challenged ghost that reminded Danny of Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" tried to be his friend. Danny felt bad for putting the ghost in the Frost Lair, but he was in a pinch and had to work fast. Danny sighed and tried to heat his body back up once he got in the Fenton Speeder. Once Sam grabbed his hands to warm them, Danny felt his cheeks heat up and would have responded had the song Tucker was singing along with badly hadn't caught his attention.

"Oh Ember…so warm and tender! You will remember my name."

Danny felt an odd sensation come over him as he sang the words softly to himself. The pain in those words…it made Danny's heart shatter. _Who would be so cruel?_

Sam looked between her friends and saw that Tucker's out of tune singing seemed to make Danny frown in sadness, not irritation. "What's wrong, Danny? Tucker's singing driving you crazy?"

Danny shook his head. "I was listening to the lyrics and it's sad."

Sam nodded at the explanation but thought, _There's more that you're not_ _telling_ _me._

The concert in Amity Park was coming along swimmingly. In a few hours, she would be more powerful than ever. Ember sighed. It would have normally bring her spirits up to see so many fans running around acting like idiots because of her power, but today was different because today was the anniversary of her death: suicide by house fire. It was stupid in retrospect, but that's why she became a ghost. Ember was an outcast in life, so in death, she was powered by the attention drawn from her fans. Ember only wished she could find love again. In public, Ember swore to Kitty and others that she would never love again. In private, that's what she longed for. Once she found love again, she would have all the adoration she needed and could return to her passion of songwriting with no ill intentions. Until that day, Ember forced herself to be content with the the mindless adoration to fuel her.

Over the next few days, Danny noticed Ember McLain fever sweep across the entire world. It screamed ghostly trick. Danny didn't get confirmation until the night of the concert, as he walked up to the stage set up outside Amity Park High, Danny felt a familiar chill roll down his spine.

 _The rocker is a ghost._ Danny thought as the Ectoplasmic Green eyes of the girl on his nightmare flashed back into Danny's mind. _No way! Could she be the same girl?_

The thought was ludicrous yet also was the idea of a half ghost superhero. When Danny saw her, he shook his head. _What am I thinking?!_

Her entire look screamed, "I'm a rocker who died on pills." The lyrics of her song wouldn't leave him alone.

"You will remember my name." He mumbled. _She was left after she gave herself to a douchebag and, already being an outcast, saw only one course of action._

Danny shivered at the implications of his dream in this new frame. He started to feel sorry for Ember.

That's when the two halves of the Halfling's psyche: Danny's Heart and his Head declared war and began battling it out. _She's a ghost, a dangerous hypnoghost that feeds on attention._ His Head growled.

 _She wouldn't be that way if she wasn't lulled into a relationship then humiliated by the douchebag who did it!_ His Heart fired back.

 _If she were to find someone who would get to know her and learn to adore her, she wouldn't be an evil manipulative ghost anymore. She would quite possibly be happy._

His Head had one final trick: _What about Sam?_

Danny stopped for a moment and considered it. Her feminism and antiestablishment pose on everything made her very difficult to get along with. She would probably be great friends with DC's Poison Ivy.

 _I wonder if Harley would be willing to share though…_ Danny blushed, shook his head, and growled, "Focus!"

Sam came up to him suddenly. "What are you thinking about that you need to focus on?"

Danny jumped at the sound of his friend's voice. "I think Ember is a ghost, and I know how to beat her."

Sam had a dark smirk on her face that unnerved Danny when he said that. "You're not jealous. Are you?"

"Of her? Please, she's just feeding off of the power in song to make people her slaves. Why would I be jealous of that?"

 _I can think of a few reasons,_ Danny thought but only shrugged at Sam's question. "In order for my plan to work, we have to wait until Amber is at her strongest."

Sam raised an eyebrow at Danny's slip. "Don't you mean Ember?"

Danny nodded. "That's what I said."

Sam shook her head, _I hope you know what you're doing, Danny._ Sam thought with a bitter scowl.

Once the concert was in full swing, Danny flew in. _Her hair is beautiful when it's strong like that._ The ghost-boy thought as he looked down at the inferno of robin egg blue atop her head.

Once Danny landed, he sighed and gulped down air. _Here goes nothing…_ Danny thought as he started to sing "As Long as You Love Me" by Backstreet Boys. **Come on. You have to admit this song is a perfect answer to "Remember".**

The crowd stopped chanting Ember's name and looked at Danny Phantom as the Ghost Boy sang, backed up by Ember's own band. Ember felt the power leave her and glared at the source of the power loss. Her glare faltered as she watched the Ghost Child Skulker wouldn't stop complaining about sing to her.

 _He can't be singing to me._ As Danny neared her, Ember could feel the desire radiating off of Phantom. "What are you doing stealing my show, Dipstick?!"

Danny looked disappointed for a moment. "I was aiming for something more valuable." With that perhaps cheesy line, Danny kissed the flame-haired rocker.

Ember was stunned, but she felt her power well up to unimaginable levels as tears of green flames slid down her cheeks.

As the pair reveled in the feeling of that kiss, Sam sulked away with a dark look on her face. "You will be mine, Danny Phantom!"

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	2. Perfect Enemies

Chapter Two: Perfect Enemies

Jazz Fenton watched her brother kiss the Rocker. Her first thought as Danny's sister was how sweet it would be to tease him about it later. Then, her rationale caught up to her emotions. _Danny's dating a ghost and our parents, dimwitted as they may be, are ghost hunters._ Jazz fought a laugh. It was like "Romeo and Juliet" only both lovers were already dead…er half-dead in Danny's case. Jazz watched Ember look at the Ghost Boy as they parted. Then, Jazz saw Sam storm off in a sour mood with Tucker following behind. Jazz laughed for a brief moment at the absolute absurdity of Tucker and Sam's friendship. Then, her mind turned on her. With the new approach to ghosts Jazz provided, she was not sure how long Danny's friendship with Sam would continue to exist because it was the Goth who convinced Danny to begin trapping ghosts in that horrid device (Jazz could say "horrid device" because she had asked Danny to voluntarily get sucked into it earlier in the week because she wanted him to know how it felt to be in there. The way Danny described it…Jazz still shuddered only thinking about it.) during his bout with The Lunch Lady Ghost. _I hope you know what you're doing, Danny._ Jazz thought as she sighed and left the pair to themselves.

Danny was ecstatic. Here he was in the arms of a beautiful woman who could rock out and keep up with him in fights. Once Danny and Ember parted, Danny asked Ember a question that had been burning in his mind since it happened.

"Why did your music make me fall for Sam?"

Ember snorted. "I just wanted to give your Goth friend a taste of what she desired."

Danny looked at Ember stunned, "Me and her, no way in this world and the GZ would that happen!" Danny laughed at the thought to keep from freaking out. "If I did react to her subconsciously, it was simple biology. I'm a teen boy; she's a moderately attractive girl. You do the math."

Ember nodded and smiled as loaded question came to her mind. "What does that say about me, Babypop?"

Poor Danny almost passed out as his mind reeled at her smile. "Where do I begin?" He asked with a smirk. "You shred on that guitar. If I had to guess, you were kind when you were alive because you don't really harm people unless they piss you off. Then, they deserve it." He said with a shrug as they continued to walk. "Your music needs some variety to it, but that will come in time." When she gave him an odd look, he shrugged again. "I'm just saying." Danny quickly shook his head to get back on track. "Then, we get to the outside, for Love is not an arrow that pierces the heart and goes inward. It begins on the inside as a well and issues out from a person."

Ember blinked at Danny and barked a short laugh. "That was way too sappy for my blood." Danny sighed in embarrassment at his diabetic coma inducing attempts to explain how he felt. "Blame my sister. She's the one that said romance is an open door to a woman."

Ember shook her head with a small smile when she heard that. "I'm glad to see you trying, Dipstick."

Danny noticed a change in the tone of the conversation and inwardly groaned. "Not all guys are like that douchebag in your song."

Ember nodded curtly, went invisible, and said; "We'll see, Babypop."

As Jazz walked back to Fenton Works, she thought about when she found out Danny's secret almost a week earlier. Danny was a hero, and sometimes, being a hero meant using your head as well as your fists. That's why Jazz took it upon herself to talk to Danny and convince him that maybe not all ghosts were purely malevolent. They just…needed help. That much was proven after the imprisonment of Spectra. Jazz realized that even ghosts can be adversely affected by negativity. Overdosing herself on misery, while keeping Spectra's physical form in unbelievable condition, affected the ghost's mind. After some talking, Danny made a deal with the ghost. She could stay on at the school to help the students with stress and emotional turmoil IF she agreed to not cause the misery and only feed on what the students already had in the way of misery.

Jazz was proud of herself. Danny was coming to terms with his role as mediator between Ghosts and Humans, was helping ghosts instead of just beating them up, was well on his way into a healthy relationship, and Jazz had her brother back. It had been a great week for the girl.

Then, she walked into Fenton Works. Her father jumped out in his orange jumpsuit, but it was Mrs. Fenton who spoke first.

"We heard there was a ghost attack at the school," Maddie spoke in her usual frantic tone. "Are you and Danny all right?!"

Her father spoke next. "Yeah, you need to be looked at ASAP!"

Without waiting for Jazz to respond in any way, Jack picked up his daughter and carried her over his shoulder like a toddler. Jazz felt her cheeks heat up slightly in embarrassment, but her father didn't seem to notice anything.

"Don't worry, Jazzpants! A bath in the Fenton Ecto-Sterilization Chamber and you'll be clean as a whistle!" Jazz blushed deeper, her face now feeling like fire at her father's nickname for her. It sounded way too close to a particularly embarrassing situation.

"Dad, I'm fine!" She growled as she pushed herself out of her father's grip to land ungraciously on her face.

"There wasn't a ghost attack at school!" Jazz said as she got to her feet and glared at them with a mix of pity and wonder at their single-mindedness. "It was just an awesome concert."

Jazz hated lying to her parents. _It wasn't technically a lie._ Jazz told herself to soothe her conscience.

"Danny said he'd be home tomorrow. He decided to sleepover at Tucker's since the concert was closer to that house." Jazz watched her parents to see how they would react to the story.

Maddie nodded after a moment. "Alright, dear, thanks for letting us know."

Once Jazz wished her parents good night, she walked up to her room and called Danny. "It's a long story, but stay out tonight. Get to know Ember." Jazz knew in Danny's sigh that first contact with the Rocker didn't go as well as it seemed at first.

"Stand by your window, Jazz, and keep it open." Danny told her over the phone. "I'll pick you up and tell you about it when I get there."

Jazz nodded even though Danny could not see her. "Be safe, Little Brother." Then, Jazz hung up the phone.

Danny felt a flurry of emotions as he flew to Fenton Works to pick up his sister so he could vent. The disappointment and pang of sadness he felt at the look of hatred and rejection from Sam countered with but also managed to somehow coexist with the happiness that still lingered like a glow around him because of Ember. The confusing sea of emotions Danny felt at that moment made the boy sigh yet again. Sam, one of his best friends, had not talked to him since the concert. Tucker had tried, but Danny just couldn't listen to either of them. Tucker was a bit jealous that Danny got Ember to kiss him, but other than that, was happy for his friend. Sam clearly was not like Tucker, and that worried him. The memories from his brief time under Ember's Puppy Love Spell were hazy at best.

The interesting thing about the event included a certain exchange between he and Sam stuck out on the boy's mind: _"Danny…wait! That's the same longing, puppy dog look you give Paulina!"_

 _Of course, in his haze, Danny responded with, "Who's Paulina?"_

 _Danny's mind conjured the memory up with enough clarity that Danny could see ALL worry for his safety and previous fear vanish from Sam's face as she smirked triumphantly._

" _That's a pleasant side-effect."_

 _In that moment, Sam seemed to break character as if she were an actress. Then, she quickly put the mask of worry and concern back on._ **I know Sam's reaction is played for laughs, but she completely forgets she's on a deadly teetering perch, and THAT's what comes to her mind?!**

The thought that Sam could change emotional state at will with believable results sent a shiver down Danny's spine. "Yet another thing I need to talk to Jazz about." Danny muttered as he approached Jazz's window.

Jazz smiled at her little brother when she saw him. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Jazz, I have a lot to get off my chest, so this is going to be a long flight."

Jazz hugged her brother. "I've got all night off we need it, Danny. Just vent."

Once they were far enough away not to be heard, it turned out Danny didn't need much coaxing. Danny went through his troubles one by one starting with Ember and ending with his disturbing revelation concerning Sam.

Jazz smiled reassuringly at her brother as he sat her down on a park bench and landed next to her before he changed to his human form just to be safe. "You said Ember died in a house fire suicide?" A few formed on Jazz's face as she received a nod from the Halfling. "Danny, someone with a fragile self-esteem like her needs constant reassurance of their importance and is irrationally terrified of being hurt again. It will take time and patience, Danny, but if you really want her, you need to hang on. She will open up WHEN SHE IS READY."

Jazz looked Danny in the eyes. "Don't force her to talk; the girl will only pull away from you if you do."

Danny nodded and his face hardened slightly. "Thanks, Jazz, I-"

Jazz cut her brother off. "Woah. Slow your ghost butt down and get back here!" Jazz said as she grabbed his leg and pulled him back down gently. "I wasn't done. Sam is clearly jealous of Ember, but she's displaying psychopathic behavior."

Danny shivered.

As her brother's reaction, Jazz explained. "She's not crazy, Danny. 'Psychopath' just means she cannot empathize with others and as such is somewhat detached from her own emotions. That's why she can be so convincing. Emotions, to her, are a set of fictional concept because she's never experienced them herself."

Danny looked at Jazz in shock. "She…"

Jazz looked back at Danny and met his eyes. "She can imitate emotions like Sonny from 'I, Robot'. Feeling them is a whole different matter." Jazz hugged her brother tightly. "Promise me you will be careful around her."

Danny nodded solemnly. "I will." Danny sighed and stared up at the sky. _I have two perfect enemies to fight: Ember's pain and Sam's wrath. I will win._ Danny thought with resolve as his right hand's fingers tightened into a fist.

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	3. Reasons to Live

Chapter Three: Reasons to Live

Danny shivered as the thought of having to face his former friend. From what Jazz told him, Danny suspected Sam would blow the cover off his superhero identity in a long game that Sam hoped would terminate with him running into her arms in a search for comfort.

"Sam," Danny mumbled. "I never gave your Dark Side a second thought. Now, it looks as if that decision is going to haunt me."

Danny shook his head of the thoughts around Sam and thought about Ember. A strange thought came to Danny's mind. _What would Ember do if I was just a normal human?_

Danny hoped she would accept who he was, but if Danny was honest, he didn't know how the Rocker would react to his human form.

Danny sighed as he got a text from Tucker. "Watch ur back, Danny. Sam's probably helping your parents set a trap 4 u." At the warning, Danny nodded his thanks to Tucker.

It wasn't a good plan, but it was the only one he had. _Spring the trap…_ Danny thought bitterly as he floated into Fenton Works.

Jack and Maddie Fenton were beyond shocked when the Ghost .Boy just appeared in their lab. The pair of ghost hunters couldn't believe their luck.

"It's a trick." Maddie said coldly as she and Jack cautiously approached the ghost with their weapons at the ghost. "What are you doing here, Ghost Menace?!"

Sam walked up to Jazz and Maddie Fenton. "I called him here, Mister Fenton." Sam said with a dark tone. "He captured Danny and experimented with Danny until…" Sam shivered and buried her face in Maddie's jumpsuit as she began to sob into the woman's neck.

Maddie glared unknowing at her son with anger radiating off her form as it shook in tremors of rage. Maddie then pressed a button Danny had no idea was in the wall and found himself bound to a dissection table.

Danny screamed in terror. _I can't go intangible!_ Danny thought in shock and mild panic. Then, his mind relaxed slightly. _Wait! These are my parents we're talking about._ Danny thought, his confidence surging back.

Jack suddenly jumped up and down like a kid in a candy store. "Can I use it, Maddie dear?" The man asked over and over rapidly.

Maddie gave a slow, solemn nod as she whispered in a broken tone, "For Danny..."

Given the ok by his wife, Jack dashed over to a panel. "This is the Ecto-Magnet, Ghost Scum." He patted the machine proudly as it rose out of the floor when he pushed a hidden button with pride in his eyes.

Danny shivered at the fearsome look of the contraption. It looked like a cross between an Acme Magnet and Ecto-blaster.

Maddie walked up to Danny with a scowl on her face. "Some theorize that a ghost has a 'heart' of sorts in the form of a dense area of ectoplasm that generates the energy needed to sustain the ghost."

She almost sounded clinical to the Halfling and made Danny scowl, _No, you aren't my parents._ He thought bitterly.

Maddie glared at him with a sadistic smirk on her face. "The magnet Jack developed is designed to pull this dense core from a ghost and remove them from existence in the process."

In that moment of sheer panic and fear, Danny did the only thing he could think to do: "JAZZ!"

Jazz Fenton ran down the stairs, activating the Fenton Peeler as she did. "Step away from my brother!" Jazz ordered with a glare.

Thinking quickly, Sam growled, "The ghost cloned himself and had his double possess Jazz!"

Maddie turned to her daughter with a glare. "Get out of my daughter, you monster!"

Jazz didn't want to hurt her mother. She really didn't, but when Jazz saw her Dad powering up a ghost magnet, Jazz knew she couldn't wait and try to talk her mother back to her sanity. With only one option available to her, Jazz used the suit's enhanced strength to knock the other woman out.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Jazz looked up from her unconscious mother when she heard Danny scream in agony. Fear filled her eyes as Jazz watched her brother struggle against the pull of the machine. She felt powerless and started to cry softly because she knew Danny, half-ghost or not, likely wouldn't survive having his core ripped out.

Then, a miracle happened as an unfamiliar voice called, "TIME OUT!"

Jazz looked up as everything froze to see a strange ghost looking at her with a time staff in his hand. "Danny…he won't survive this!" Jazz whispered with a plea in her tone.

"You don't know that." Clockwork told the trembling girl with a warm smile as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Danny…he's a ghost! He will cease to exist if Maddie and Jack do get his core!"

Clockwork laughed. "'If' is a powerful word, my dear. If man can fly with the aid of machines, what is to stop him from reaching for the stars with machines?" The Lord of Time shook his head. "The boy is only _half_ ghost." Clockwork explained. "He can make it. He just needs a reason to live."

Jazz ran over to Danny's side and nodded her thanks to Clockwork as she reached down to grip his hand.

"TIME IN!"

Jazz glared at her brother as tears of fear rolled down her cheeks. "Listen to me, Danny! You have to live…for Ember…for me." She said gently, "Now, go human and show these butchers nobody takes you down without one hell of a fight!"

Danny's human form slowly covered him, putting a blanket of flesh between the magnet and his core.

Maddie and Jack were stunned as the ghost's form turned into that of their human son. "What the hell is this?!"

In her rage, Maddie pointed a large blaster at the form of her son but hesitated as she looked at him in confusion and slight panic while the blaster rattled noisily in the woman's shaking hand.

Sam smiled inwardly but shivered in "fright". "It was part of a decoy experiment the ghost did on himself to look human and blend in."

Jazz shook her head violently, her eyes burning with indignant righteous restrained fury. "That is bullshit, and you know it, bitch!"

Jazz debated getting up and beating Sam senseless for a moment; but, well aware Danny had yet to wake from his apparent comatose state, concern for him pushed her rage back. The fact nagged at her and screamed for her to take Danny to safety as quickly as possible. With pure adrenaline driving her, Jazz scooped up Danny in her arms and ran for the portal, the cries of her parents not to leave falling on deaf ears after what they did to Danny. Unknown or not, the barbaric nature of her parents' actions was inexcusable.

Once on the other side of the portal, Jasmine felt her brother begin to stir in her arms. When Danny opened his eyes, they were the eyes of his ghostly alter ego.

"Danny…" Jazz whispered as she looked at her brother in shock.

"Calm down, Jazz. I'm fine." Danny assured her as he felt himself begin to get stronger with the ambient ectoplasm in the GZ passing through him and restoring what was lost of Danny's core. After pulling in enough material, Danny started to float on his own in his human form. Jazz smiled hugged her brother tightly as relief spread through Jazz at seeing that Danny was beginning to recover from his near-annihilation experience.

Jazz looked around and smiled, "At least we are in an unpopulated area of the Ghost Zone where you can concentrate on healing."

Danny would have face-palmed had he had the energy for the simple motion. _You never say things like that, Jazz!_

Danny quickly gathered more ectoplasm from around him. From the amassed ghost energy, Danny found the strength to stand and look around to see exactly where they were. _No "landmarks" at all._ The Halfling thought contently. _Maybe we are safe._

For a moment, Danny hoped his curse would look the other way just this once. Danny looked west of his and Jazz's current position and groaned as he spied Skulker coming in hot from that direction. Danny started to power up to defend himself and Jazz but felt a jab of pain his chest as he tried to access his powers.

 _I must still be too weak to change._ Danny thought as the attempt to access his powers made the boy almost black out from the strain. As his vision came back into focus, Danny clinched his teeth and stared down the approaching threat.

"Jazz, that's Skulker!" Danny said in weak panic as the teen felt his moment of strength pass. "He wants me for a pelt on his wall."

Jazz looked horrified at the prospect of Danny being hunted as if he were some animal to be a prize for this ghost. Jazz's look hardened with resolve as she stood between Skulker and her injured brother. "He's going to have to get through me first!"

"Run!" Danny pleaded in a final bid to get his sister to listen to reason.

"I'm not leaving you to your fate, Little Brother!" Jazz growled in a tone that left no room for argument. Jazz tensed as she prepared to fight.

Skulker looked at Jazz in confusion. "My battle is with the Ghost Child, not you!"

Skulker growled as he attacked. Jazz glared at the Hunter and used her martial arts training to keep Skulker at bay.

"Why do you fight so hard for the Whelp?" Skulker asked, impressed with the girl's ability. Thinking quickly, Jazz responded between strikes. "The Whelp's pack betrayed him, and I won't let you near my little brother!"Jazz struck faster as she spoke, determination pushing her further. Finally, Skulker noticed why the Ghost Child had yet to defend himself. The hunter's eyes widened when he saw the Ghost Child was barely able to stand behind his defender and noted a long scar on the Whelp's chest. Realization donned on the Hunter.

"I see," he said with a nod. "I do not hunt wounded prey; there is no sport in it." Skulker looked at Danny. "Be sure once you are healed, Ghost Child, you will be my greatest prize!"

A voice from behind them caught the attention of the group. Everyone froze and turned to the voice as Skulker's face descended into deep scowl.

"You go after my Babypop, Skulker, and your ass is mine!"

Skulker and Danny looked at each other then toward the voice in shock until a weary grin placed itself on Danny's face. Ember moved to strum her guitar, and Skulker flew away as if his tail was on fire.

After making certain Skulker would not attack Danny or his sister, Ember floated over to the pair and looked at Danny in worry.

"What happened to you, Babypop?" Ember asked as she looked over the groaning human boy in fear and was shocked to see his eyes were ectoplasm green and not blue like his sister's.

"Two ghost hunters, Jack and Maddie Fenton, captured me and tried to remove my core." Ember scowled at the thought,

"Jazz…" Ember threw the girl a set of keys as the teen looked at the Ghost Rocker in confusion. "…go to my realm. The Dipstick will be safe there, and the keys will guild you." Jazz looked at the ghost in shock. "Spectra told me about you."

Danny looked at Ember. "Where are you going?" he asked in confusion.

Ember kissed her dipstick gently with a dark smile as her hair blazed with her anger. "I'm going to 'chat' with those douchebags!"

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	4. Theories of Dead Men

Chapter Four: Theories of Dead Men

Ember was beyond angry as she flew toward the artificial portal exit of the Fenton's. _How could Danny's own family do that to him?!_ Her mind roared in anger as she scowled at the thought.

Skulker chuckled when he saw Ember flying off in a rage, "Like a moth to the flame..." He mumbled as Ember stopped and gave the Hunter an annoyed look. Skulker grinned. "Did you ever pause to consider that The Whelp's parents are simply pawns in a larger scheme? Misdirection is the key to hunting intelligent prey." Skulker explained with a look in Ember's direction. "Going back in there angry would have you play right into the black clad witch's plot to seize her own prey."

Ember floated down to look at Skulker in the face. "Why are you doing this for me, Skulker?"

Skulker sighed. "I have my own reasons. Be sure of that, Ember. If the Ghost Child loses you, he will not be as determined to keep from his destiny as a pelt in my realm, so it is in my own interest to keep him sharp."

Ember sighed. As single-minded as Skulker was, he did make a good point.

In spite of the danger to herself, Ember flew on. Once she was through the portal, the Ghost Rocker was careful to avoid the sensors around the Fenton home and made her way to Jack and Maddie Fenton's bedroom. All in all, the place was well furnished and had an odd welcoming quality to it. _If only that was true for Danny,_ Ember thought as she looked around the place with a curious eye. _Instead, the bastards turned their own son in to the test subject for a fucked up experiment!_ As anger began to boil within Ember again, she briefly wondered if she would be scarred for life if she woke the Fenton heads out of a dead sleep. Her hope that they even slept in their suits was confirmed as Ember turned on the lights.

"Wakey, wakey; Dipsticks, it's time we had a little chat!"

She turned on the lights over the bed and strummed loudly on her guitar. The concussive blast of sound threw Jack and Maddie out of the bed in a flash. Jack groaned as he hit the wall. Maddie was quick to react, however. Maddie used to backwards momentum to right herself in the air and land on her feet.

"Why are you here, Spook?" Maddie asked with a glare.

Jack shook his head to clear the dizziness from his head and smiled at the Ghost Rocker. "I really should install an Ecto-magnet in every room." Jack mumbled to himself.

Ember's fiery glare settled on the man. "Do you have any idea who you almost tore out of existence?!" Ember asked as she got in Jack's face.

The man started laughing. "You mean that Ghost Boy survived the Ecto-magnet?!"

Eyes widened in shock and slight horror as Jack seemed to get it. Then, Jack's eyes hardened again. "This is just a trick!"

Maddie glared at Ember. "Where is Danny's body, you ghoulish bitch?!"

Ember glared at the woman and her husband. "Danny is resting with his sister and recovering from your colossal fuck up." Ember said with a frigid tone to her voice.

Maddie blinked as she understood. "Say we did make a mistake. What did we do wrong?"

Ember looked at them in stunned amassment at their stupidity. "Danny Fenton and Danny _Phantom_ are the same person! You tried to rip apart your own son!" Ember said as her hair and eyes blazed with anger at the thoughtlessness of Danny's parents.

"Sam told us…"

Ember nodded. "SAM, the girl with serious psychological issues that Jazz would be more than happy to tell you about if you cared enough about your family to put them above ghosts, told you a load of bullshit!" Ember growled.

Maddie shivered as she began to cry profusely. "We're sorry. Please forgive us!" Maddie pleaded.

"That's not for me to decide, Mrs. Fenton. That's Baypop's decision to make, not mine."

Ember turned to leave but felt a hand try to stop her. Ember turned around to see the eyes of a worried mother with orange hair and blue eyes.

"Please take care of my little boy and protect him."

Ember nodded and frowned as she turned and shook her head. _It's a little late for that one, Mrs. F._

Danny woke up to see he was on a couch in a nicely decorated room. "Where am I?" The Ghost Boy asked weakly. He looked around and saw Jazz sitting next to him.

"You're safe, Danny. We're in Ember's Realm."

Danny blinked and sat up as his fighting instincts took control for a moment. His hands blazed to life with ghost energy.

"Easy Danny." Jazz told her brother. "You're still weak from what Jack and Maddie did to you." Jazz said gently as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "You're safe."

Danny didn't know if she repeated the statement to sooth him or her, but he didn't have time to think about it before he heard a knock at the door and felt his Ghost Sense go off.

Johnny 13 stood outside of Ember's room and looked at the door nervously. "Kitty always comes to Ember when she has a problem with me. Wouldn't the reverse apply, Shadow?"

The black mass nodded in agreement and pointed at the door.

"Yeah, take a look inside for me and see what's keeping her."

When Johnny's Shadow came back out to report to his master, the creature was shivering and was barely able to pantomime what he saw.

"So, Kill Joy and his lovely sister are crashing at Ember's?"

The Biker was completely surprised by that. To his knowledge, all Danny did was beat ghosts black and blue. It didn't make sense for Ember to let a guy like that stay in her realm.

"What's going on in there, Kill Joy?!" Johnny roared as he prepared to knock down the door in anger.

The door opened suddenly as Jazz opened the door with a kind smile. "Can I help you, Johnny?"

Johnny blushed as he looked away from Jazz. "I was hoping to talk to Ember about Kitty. I'm afraid I'm going to lose her."

Danny powered down his fists when he realized Johnny truly just needed someone to talk with and unload. "Johnny Boy, don't worry. I trust Doctor Fenton. You should, too." Danny said with a smirk.

Johnny grinned as Danny left Jazz to talk alone with Johnny because of Doctor-Patient Confidentiality. Danny sighed and went to explore Ember's realm as Jazz and Johnny started the session.

Danny walked into Ember's music room, which was extensive to say the least, and smiled as he spotted an old school electric guitar. After checking that the guitar wasn't special like Ember's main guitars, **She has at least two because the dials are shown to be different on two guitars she owns.** Danny grinned and started strum on the beautiful interment. Danny's fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as he played and pulled "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down from the strings. With Jazz busy with Johnny and Ember out on a path of vengeance, Danny wasn't self-conscious and began to sing along with the melody. Freedom took Danny as he poured his heart into the song. When he was done, Danny came out of the tunnel vision with the sound of clapping.

As the sound greeted Danny's ears, he looked up and blushed as Jazz, Johnny, and Shadow were clapping for him. Danny blushed and quickly set the guitar down gently in its stand.

"How long were you guys watching me?" Danny asked nervously.

Jazz smiled at Danny. "We stopped and came here when we heard your singing."

Danny looked away and blushed deeper.

Johnny chuckled and said, "You should really sing for Ember in a private concert, just the two of ya."

When Johnny winked at Danny, the Ghost Boy glared at Johnny. "You must have a dick for a brain, Johnny." Danny bit back in anger. "If I'm going to sing, it's going to be for one of two reasons: so I can relax or because Ember wants me to."

Johnny's eyes widened at Danny's restrained anger.

"Relationships are very important to Danny, Johnny." Jazz explained. "He doesn't like it when those he loves are debased to trophies or ornaments."

Johnny nodded. "I can understand that, man. Kitty is more than a hot babe on my arm. She's my best friend." He said with a smile.

While this discussion was going on in Ember's Realm, Sam Mansion walked back to her house, her mood sour and full of frustration.

"Damn it!" The Goth growled. "I thought for sure that would work!" She complained. "How did Jazz manage to get to Danny's side in an instant?" The girl thought aloud as she continued to walk in the darkness. _Clockwork was there!_ Sam realized in a flash of realization. Sam scratched her chin in thought. _If Clockwork is involved, I need to adapt._

Sam smiled as she felt a presence behind her. Her ability to sense ghosts wasn't as potent as Danny's, but after honing the skill for almost half a year, Sam felt her instincts were sharp enough to trust and took a shot in the dark. "Come out, Plasmius. I know you're there."

Plasmius frowned as he appeared before her. His vampire-like ghost form would make him extremely intimidating if Sam wasn't so angry right now.

"We both want the same thing, Plasmius, albeit for different reasons." Sam began as her voice flowed like honey. "I can provide you information on your arch foe, but I require payment for this information."

Plasmius raised an eyebrow. "Name your price."

Sam grinned darkly. "Bite me."

Plasmius looked at the girl, stunned. "All my research on myself suggests…"

Sam held up a hand. "…you can turn humans into Halflings with the venom produced by glands that feed your fangs."

Plasmius chuckled. "My, you have done your research."

Sam just nodded impatiently. "In order to get Danny, I need to be on his level." Sam said as pulled the cloth of her collar away from her neck.

Plasmius grinned. _Foolish girl,_ Plasmius thought as he bit Sam.

Sam grinned and groaned in ecstasy as she felt the ectoplasm venom burn her blood. "Yes, I feel it!" Sam said with a deranged cackled.

Her body changed in reaction to the ectoplasm. It became a black feminine shadow like Spectra's true form but had sharp fangs and clawed hands.

"I AM SUCCUBUS!" The being that was formerly Sam Manson said with sick delight in her blood red eyes.

Ember suddenly shivered as she flew back toward the Fenton Portal. _Something really bad just happened._ Ember thought as she double timed it back to her realm. "Why do I get the feeling the Goth is much more of a threat than she seems?" Ember wondered aloud as she neared her realm. As Ember reached her door, the door opened and Johnny walked out.

"Thanks for the talk, doc."

Ember just giggled. _I knew Jazz would get used to the GZ quickly._ Ember quickly shook her head and got back on track. "Babypop, the Goth has upped her game."

Danny walked over to Ember with a confused expression.

"I don't know to what extent or how, but promise me you'll be extremely careful from now on."

Danny kissed her gently and smiled. "I'll keep on my toes. I promise."

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	5. Enter Succubus

Chapter Five: Enter Succubus

Amity Park was unusually quiet as far as ghosts were concerned. Danny had made deals with most of them, and to his surprise, the ghosts turned out to be more trustworthy than he expected and stayed true to the deals. The only ones he had problems with were Skulker and the odd nondescript ghost trouble maker. Danny no longer felt comfortable in The Human Realm and found himself more at home in the GZ with Ember and Jazz.

On one such night patrol through Amity Park a few weeks after he "vanished" brought with it a surprise. Danny turned back from his night patrol to fly back to the Fenton Portal when he saw a candlelight vigil for someone. Danny flew over the park and couldn't believe what he saw. A majority of the school body and faculty were in attendance, and as Danny flew closer, he realized they were honoring him!

Danny landed and went invisible. Then, he approached the grieving group of people. Almost everyone was there. Even Dash and his jock buddies seemed genuinely sorrowful. Danny sighed as he walked closer and saw the students take turns to share something about him.

Paulina shook her head and laughed lightly. "I used to despise Danny, but without him, I would never have met his lovable tech friend, Tucker Foley." She said with a grin aimed at the boy.

He blushed at the praise only smiled back at her.

As Paulina turned back to the crowd to continue her speech, the girl's face fell. "Danny tried to be my friend, but I let social pressures dictate how I treated him." Paulina shivered. "Danny, if you can hear me from wherever you are, you have to know I'm sorry."

Danny wiped a tear from his eye at Paulina's words and grinned at Tucker. _Way to go, Tuck! You've got your dream girl._

Danny's joyous thoughts for his friend morphed into rage as Vlad Masters, Jack Fenton, and Maddie Fenton took the stage.

"I…" Vlad worked in some false tears for sincerity sake. "…swear to all of Amity Park: the demon who took dear Daniel from us with be caught and destroyed!"

The students shivered en masse at the declaration. Most of them knew Phantom was a hero, not a villain, so the announcement of plans to capture and destroy Danny Phantom made the gathered group of teens nervous. Danny shivered as he looked at the back of the group and saw "Jazz". Danny silently watched for a reaction from the ghost in human guise. The shapeshifting Amorpho was more than happy to take over Jazz's life while she stayed with Danny in the GZ. Maddie and Jack provided no end of entertainment for the bored ghost, and Amorpho fell in surprisingly well as Jazz's double. Amorpho winked at Danny to let the Ghost Boy know the shapeshifter would do his best to frustrate the team effort to hunt down the Halfling. Danny breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the thought that Vlad would yet again be foiled.

Then, a voice spoke as Danny's Ghost Sense went wild. _Just when I thought things were beginning to look up…_

A black mass he first thought to be Spectra floated up from below the floor of the sage to form itself together. Danny went into action, but before Danny could meet the ghost, it attacked Tucker and Paulina. The two lovers began to fight about nonsense as the black ghost sighed in contentment at the bickering.

"Hey," Danny growled. "My friends are not on the menu, Freak!"

The ghost turned from its meal and glared at Danny. Then, its burning red eyes gleamed wickedly, and the ghost's expression shifted into a dark grin. "Remember me, Danny?"

Danny felt a spike of recognition in the back of his mind at the biting tone in the ghost's voice. "SAM?!"

In response, the ghost condensed itself down to a human size and continued to shift and mold Itself until a perfect likeness of The Goth stood before Danny. She smiled at the boy and launched herself at him. Jack and Maddie went into action, but Vlad only smirked at Danny. _Figures Vlad would find a way to turn Sam into a ghost to torment me._ Danny thought as he and Sam wrestled.

"Hmm…this is romantic. Isn't it, Danny?"

Danny only glared at the woman and threw her off of him. Once in the air, Danny shook his head sadly and stared at the creature that used to be his friend with a blank expression. "You wouldn't know romance if you were Cupid!" Danny growled as he prepared to attack again.

Before Danny could attack however, he felt weight and pain arc through his body as he screamed in pain. Danny looked up to see Jack and Maddie trapped him in their ectoplasm net. Dash glared at the ghost hunters and charged them. The creature smiled at the irony of Dash's effort to defend Danny and laughed before she blasted him back.

"Call me Succubus!" She roared as everyone screamed. Tucker glared at the ghost. "Today you will look upon the true face of your beloved champion and protector!"

Succubus smiled and groaned in ecstasy as she entered Danny's body. Danny screamed in horror as he felt Succubus' oily presence override his mind.

 _I don't want this!_ Danny's mind railed. _Push her out!_ Danny ordered as he fought the sickening feeling of joy from Succubus.

Danny fought tears as he tried to push the ghost out, but because she was the progeny of Plasmius, Succubus was much stronger and could fight Danny's resistance easily. She held fast and forced the change from Phantom to Fenton.

The crowd gasped in shock as a myriad of responses ran through the crowd. Jack and Maddie stared in horrified silence at the sight of their son helpless under their net. Maddie shivered and buried her face in Jack's chest as she sobbed. A cry of pure agony and pain pulled everyone from their shocked stupors as Danny expelled Succubus.

"Why Danny…" Succubus sneered with twisted delight in her eyes. "…I like a man who fights me."

Danny was broken at this point. Instead of responding, Danny curled into a ball and cried. The cries devolved into gut-wrenching screams before the boy collapsed into a shivering mass of exhaustion.

Ember heard the screams all the way in her realm in the GZ. The screams of Danny Phantom brought ghosts out from all over the Ghost Zone in confusion and panic. Anyone who could beat Danny Phantom so soundly to produce such a scream from the boy was truly a monster. Even Skulker shivered as the sound beat against his ears. Ember was well and truly hunting for blood as she raced for the Fenton Portal. To her surprise and relief, she was not alone in her anger. Skulker, Vortex, Technus, Kitty, Johnny 13, Shadow, and Spectra were all on the warpath as they went to defend one of their own. The group of ghosts rocketed out of the portal. Kitty smiled at Ember.

"We've all agreed to run interference. You get Danny and bring him home."

Ember nodded in understanding and glared at her target.

The citizens of Amity Park stared in shock and terror at their fallen hero as he looked at his enemy in weak defiance.

"Yes, keep fighting, Daniel." Vlad mocked softly to himself.

They looked on in bated breath, hoping but unsure that the hero would continue to fight. Suddenly, a blast of concussive sound knocked Succubus away.

"Hands off my Babypop, you bitch!"

The crowd looked up in confusion toward the shout and was stunned to see Ember McLain as she floated down to Danny. "Come on, Babypop." Ember said gently. "You have to fight."

Danny looked at Ember with broken eyes. "Sam won, Ember! She beat me."

Ember glared at Danny. "You listen here, Babypop! You are not a Dipstick; you can wipe the floor with this demon butch."

In front of all, she kissed Danny deeply. Danny closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. When Danny opened his eyes, the fire in them was back. "Thank you, Ember."

As Danny took Ember's hand, strength surged in both ghosts. Alone, Danny was easily taken down by Succubus, but with Ember and the other ghosts on the assist, Succubus was the one in for a world of hurt. The ghost was quickly subdued into the Fenton Thermos.

"Where are we going to put her?" Danny asked as he shivered at the thought of her freely roaming the GZ.

"Time Out!" Everything froze as Clockwork appeared. "You will not have to worry about her." Clockwork said to the frozen Danny. "I shall watch her in my realm." The Master of Time took the thermos from Danny's still hand and smiled before he yelled, "Time In!"

Danny looked down to see a note had replaced the thermos in his hand. The boy shook his head with a small laugh.

"What is it, Babypop?" Ember asked with a raised eyebrow at her boyfriend's laughter seemingly from nowhere.

"Clockwork took care of the problem for us."

In the Fenton Thermos as Clockwork floated through the dimension with a concerned expression on his ever-changing face, Succubus smiled. "Time is on my side, my Danny." The ghost said with a dark smile as she started to think of how to get to the next phase of her plan. _Danny was wonderful to overcome, but I realize now I need a more powerful partner._ Succubus thought. _One with Plasmius' raw strength but Danny's charms._ Succubus grinned wickedly. _They didn't realize that Clockwork's Clocktower is my true final objective._

 **Please Read and Review**


	6. Getting Your Desires

Chapter Six: Getting Your Desires

"Danny, no!"

Maddie Fenton sat upright in her bed as she tried to slow her breathing down and relax, but it was getting harder for her. This was the sixth night in a row she had the same nightmare. Maddie couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She got out of bed, careful not to disturb Jack, and started walking around the house as she tried to think.

 _Danny_ , Maddie thought. _Why does this bother me so much?_ Maddie asked herself as she paced in thought. _The same dream, Danny gets turned into a ghost while Jack and I callously dissect him._

Maddie shook her head at the confusing thought. "What's wrong with me?" Maddie mumbled as she continued to walk.

The look in Danny's eyes in the dream was horrifying and made the woman shiver every time she closed her eyes. Maddie's thoughts drifted to Jack. "Could I trust Jack if Danny did turn out to be a ghost?"

Vlad stood outside Fenton Works and grinned as he watched Maddie walk about the complex invisible and undetectable by Jack's sensors due to his years of experience with his powers, doubt and fear in her eyes. Vlad chuckled softly to himself.

"I'll have to remember to thank Nocturne." Vlad said with a smirk.

He walked up to the door and knocked. When the door opened, Vlad looked at Maddie's disheveled state in shock. "Maddie, my dear, what ever happened to you?!"

Maddie sighed and stepped aside. "Vlad," she said softly. "I need to talk to you about Danny and Jack."

Vlad was inwardly ecstatic but kept his face calm with worry in his eyes.

"Sure," Vlad told the woman of his dreams quickly as he sat on the couch and patted the empty spot next to him.

Once Maddie sat down, Vlad looked at her. "What's on your mind, Madeline?" Vlad watched Maddie tear up before she broke down into his shoulder.

"What would you do if Danny was a ghost?"

Vlad shook his head at the irony of Maddie's question. "Daniel is like a son to me, Maddie." Vlad soothed. "If the young boy were a ghost for some reason, I wouldn't mind. I would still care for him." Vlad lifted Maddie's chin with a gentle finger until her eyes met his. "Why do you ask?"

Maddie wrung her hands in nerves, something she hadn't done since trying to talk to Vlad in high school. "I keep having this dream where Danny turns out to be a ghost. Jack dissects him without a second thought, but I can't do it!"

Vlad's eyes widened in surprise as Maddie suddenly wrapped her arms around him.

The white-headed man gently pushed Maddie away and looked into her eyes again. "Maddie, I think it's time I showed you something."

He looked around the room and sighed, _If I change here, Jack's blasted sensors will turn me to Swiss cheese._ "I have to take you out of here, though." An older part of Vlad resurfaced as he suggested that. Maddie looked down and away in thought. "I don't know…"

"It will be just for a moment. Then, we will come back."

Maddie nodded. "I could do with some fresh air and time away from the lab."

Vlad smiled. "That's the spirit, my dear."

Once outside, Maddie sighed in contentment and put her head on Vlad's shoulder as the pair walked down the moonlit street.

"I don't want to be near anything that has to do with ghost hunting right now."

Vlad nodded. "I understand, Maddie. That nightmare would disturb anyone."

Maddie looked up at Vlad. "What do you want to show me?" Vlad cleared his throat and blushed. "Do you trust me?" The man's eyes sparkled with confidence but also held a hint of doubt within them.

Maddie felt her head nod but couldn't really understand why Vlad was suddenly acting strange. Then, Vlad jumped into the air and allowed himself to change. Maddie stared in shock. Plasmius smiled at Maddie.

"The accident gave me more than just Ecto-acne," Vlad explained as he floated over to Maddie. "It made me half ghost."

Maddie stared in silence as the wheels began to turn in her head. "Accident…oh my god! Danny is the Ghost Boy!" Maddie's eyes teared up. "I wanted to dissect my own son!"

Maddie's gaze turned back toward Fenton Works sadly. Maddie looked longingly at the building that housed her husband. "Jack would never believe me." Maddie looked from the house to Vlad in fear. "He's so convinced that all ghosts are evil." She whispered. "I wish I could find a way to make amends and say I'm sorry."

Vlad changed back to Masters and took Maddie's hand.

"You weren't really going to destroy my son. Were you?"

Masters sighed. "Succubus had you and Jack emotionally charged. Jack wouldn't calm down until I gave him something." The man admitted as he squeezed Maddie's hand. "I promise. Daniel will have nothing to fear from Jack." Vlad told Maddie as he brought her closer.

"Can we go see him?" Maddie asked.

Vlad smiled. "I would have it no other way." Without another word, the elder halfling picked Maddie up and flew to Wisconsin.

Danny was adjusting well to life in the GZ. It wasn't like there was nothing for him to do. Danny talked Walker into letting him be captain of the police department of the GZ, and through Danny's leadership, the GZ had never been more peaceful. Though Danny hoped this would last, in the back of his mind, he knew something would happen. It always did. Such was the case as Danny flew to Ember's realm to see how his sister was doing with her psychology practice. Danny sighed as the memory of his near death made the Halfling shiver.

 _I have to find a way to talk with Mom._

Danny would have included his father, but the boy was no longer certain of Jack's sanity after the man showed no emotion when he was almost killed by Succubus. Danny shivered at the thought of his former friend turned ghostly nightmare.

 _She didn't fight too much, now that I think about it._ Danny, so caught away in his thoughts, did not realize he floated back to Ember's while in his musings. White a blush at himself for the implications of what he'd done, Danny knocked on Ember's Realm Door.

In Clockwork's Tower, Succubus smiled from inside the thermos. She reached out and siphoned off the energy that made the thermos function. Without the ghost energy to power it, the thermos became inert. From there, Succubus slipped out easily. Once out of containment device, Succubus stretched and looked around the tower. Then, she spotted it: a second Fenton Thermos simply resting high on a shelf. Succubus floated up to the shelf and drained the second thermos of energy. As she looked at the thermos, Succubus thought she did something wrong for a moment.

"Where are you, Dan Phantom. I need help exterminating an alternative version of you and his flame-haired bitch of a girlfriend."

Suddenly, Succubus' eyes widened as Dan Phantom blew the thermos to bits. Then, Succubus grinned as she took in the look of the form before her. "Hello Dark, Tall, and Handsome;" Succubus winked flirtatiously at Dan.

Dan for his part didn't seem surprised and spoke with a oil to his voice that made Succubus shiver in delight.

"Hello, Sam."

"Just the ghost I was looking for." Succubus smiled as she floated up to him, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him.

Dan growled. "Do you want to fuck or kill the boy and his bitch?"

Succubus grinned at the thought of what her namesake was known for. "It wouldn't be that difficult to do both."

Dan chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

Before their lips could meet, a Time Portal swept the pair away. The elder Time Ghost shook his head at the display he so narrowly missed.

"I may know everything," Clockwork grumbled. "That doesn't mean I have to see everything."

Danny groaned when he felt his Ghost Sense go wild. "Well, this just got more fun." Danny mumbled before he was slammed to the ground by an ectoplasm blast.

"W-what?"

Danny summoned the strength he could and stood in front of Ember's door when he saw his perceived enemy. "I'm not letting you near her!"

"Who said I was after the fat rocker bitch?" Dan asked with a smirk as Danny tackled his evil twin.

"How did you get out?" Danny roared as he slammed the fusion of Plasmius and Phantom through multiple walls.

"I had help from an old friend you threw away like trash!"

Danny's eyes widened as he felt black arms hold him fast. _Shit…_ Danny fought as much as he could but could do practically nothing but take the blows while held fast in Succubus' iron grip.

Ember walked out of her realm pissed and ready to beat a certain hunter senseless. When she saw Danny in trouble, the Rocker strummed her guitar hard. The resulting blast threw Succubus back and gave Danny the few precious moments he needed to recover.

"You take Dark Bitch," Ember said as she glared at Dan. "I've got Major Ugly."

Danny nodded and chased after Succubus. The two former friends fought with wild abandon. When Danny had Succubus on the ropes, a cry of agony broke his focus. "Ember!" Danny said as he momentarily turned his back. Succubus grinned and moaned in delight. "Your distress is especially sweet, Dear Danny."

With a gleam in her eyes, the demon shot Danny in the back, sending him tumbling forward.

Danny stared in fury when he saw Ember's guitar broken in half behind his Evil Twin who bared down on a wounded and shivering Ember. Danny gathered what strength he could and tried to tackle Dan, but the ghost simply tossed Danny into Ember like a rag doll. As Dan powered up his beams, Danny stretched his body across Ember and glared at Dan before the boy closed his eyes and squeezed Ember's hand while he waited for the end.

Right before Dan could release a blast that would surely kill Danny and destroy Ember, he was caught in the back by a pink blast of energy. "Daniel, how many times have I told you that heroics are pointless?"

Danny looked up weakly and couldn't believe what he saw. "Plasmius and…Mom?!"


	7. Truth in the Past

**Author's Note:** I know I haven't updated in about a year, but I forgot about this story for a while. Then, life got in the way.

Chapter Seven: Truth in the Past

Danny could only stare at his mother and Vlad in shock as Jazz and Ember walked up to stand by Danny. The Halfling tensed at seeing his mother.

"Mom, get behind me!" Danny pleaded. "That's-"

Vlad looked at Danny. "Daniel, I did warn you. Didn't I?"

Maddie looked at Vlad in confusion for a moment. Then, the event in question came back to her. "The college reunion…" Maddie looked at Danny. Then, the woman looked to Vlad. "You both fought each other then!"

Danny rubbed the back of his head in nervousness. "Yeah," Danny glared at the ectoplasm around them in no particular area. "I wouldn't let any harm come to Jack because he was my Dad."

Maddie shook her head in slow sadness. "I'm so sorry, Danny." The woman's voice shook and sounded laden with emotions. "I don't know what came over your father."

Danny gave her a piercing glare. "Yeah, 'sorry' doesn't fix the fact that you let that monster…" Danny's eyes blazed with fury, trembling body the only evidence this fury went beyond his eyes.

"Babypop, relax." Ember encouraged as she put her hands on Danny's shoulders.

"Relax?!" Danny growled. "I'm stuck in the GZ with three of my worst enemies within striking distance!" Danny's hands began to glow green with energy even as his fury began to boil over. "One of them wants my Mom and is willing to sink to any depths in order to achieve his goals!"

Danny glared hard at Vlad. "You sent ghost vultures to kill Jack before the reunion." The boy then floated protectively between his mother and Vlad. "When that failed, you tried to ruin Jack's reputation by overshadowing him!"

Maddie looked between her son and Vlad in shock. "Vlad, is it true?"

Vlad sighed at Danny's logic. He was forgetting one critical element that revealed Jack's true unhealthily obsessive nature. "It is true, Maddie dear." Vlad gently took her hand. "Tell me. Did Jack ever ask how I was or anything while I was hospitalized after the accident?"

Maddie thought for a moment. "No…he didn't." She admitted. "I did however, but through extraordinary bad luck, I always visited while you were asleep."

Danny's thoughts went to a mischievous ghost biker and his shadow. _I'll have to see if I can confirm with Johnny._ Danny then looked back to see his mother kissing Vlad's cheek. The boy's eyes widened at the display. "M-Mom?"

Maddie looked at her son and daughter with a soft smile. "Of course, if it wasn't for Jack, I wouldn't have either of you."

Maddie's expression dropped again before she sighed. "After about a year of waiting…" She looked up at Vlad with regret in her eyes. "…I moved on."

Danny looked at Vlad with resentment in his eyes as Ember continued to try and soothe the boy. His anger threatening to boil out of control.

"Give Vlad a chance, Dipstick." Ember smiled at her boyfriend and held him from behind. "For me?"

Danny silently cursed his lack of will when it came to Ember. Then, the boy's gaze softened at Ember's words.

"Fine..." Danny said to her as he kissed her cheek.

Then, the boy turned to Vlad, and his gaze grew darker than a moonless, stormy night. "Hurt my Mom, and I won't hold back!"

At that moment, Succubus and Dan began to rouse. Succubus felt the strife between the family and drank it in greedily to regain her strength. The tension between Vlad and her Danny was especially sweet. However, she only pretended to still be knocked out, best to strike when it's least expected while Dan provided a distraction.

Dan glared at his younger self and lunged. Danny dodged the attack only by a few centimeters. Then, Danny dug deep and glared at his double as his clam green eyes blazed with fury. _I've had it with you!_ Danny growled in his mind as he began to punch and kick at a faster rate. Dan glared at the boy. The fighting style went from defensive to extremely aggressive like the flip of a switch. Danny struck with anger-fueled speed and had his evil double losing ground in the fight before long.

Succubus took this point to attack and smiled at Danny.

"Did you miss me?"

Danny glared at her, his anger building, but a squeeze of his hand made Danny relax as Ember struck the demon with a sonic blast. "I don't think my GIRLFRIEND likes you trying to snag me."

When Succubus recovered from the blast, she surged toward Danny.

"If I can't have your heart, I WILL HAVE YOUR BODY!"

Blinded by her rage and focused solely on her goal to overshadow Danny, Succubus completely discounted a certain ghost-hunting mother. Mattie reacted faster than Succubus could fly and grabbed the ghoul. Spinning as she levitated thanks to the Ghost Zone's inverted laws of physics, Maddie's face never lost an ounce of anger. When Maddie let go, Succubus went flying.

"No one tries to overshadow my son, you bitch!"

Danny raised an eyebrow at his Mom but didn't have time to think about what happened before Dan slammed him into a nearby island. _I've got to do something!_ With that thought driving him, Danny looked at Ember and nodded slightly as he summoned his will and remaining reserves of power. Together, Danny and Ember released their sonic attacks. The combined force threw Dan back a considerable distance, but seemed to do little damage. Winded and wearied, Danny looked up tiredly as Jazz and Ember helped steady him.

"He's…too strong!" Danny admitted between ragged breath.

Vlad fought the urge to facepalm. "For the love of…DANIEL, draw strength from the ectoplasm around you!"

Danny froze. _Did the Cheesehead just help me?_

Shaking the thought away, Danny closed his eyes and focused. Mounds of ambient ectoplasm flowed into the Halfling as strength rose in his limbs. Drawing in as much ectoplasm as he dared, Danny focused.

 _I hope this works!_

With a yell of effort, ectoplasm surged around and through the Ghost Boy. Then, it began to form into Duplicates. First, there were two, then four, then eight, until a ring of Danny clones including the original encircled Dan. As one, the army of Dannies struck Dan with beams of ecto-energy.

Dan glared at his younger counterpart. "You will learn what true fear is like, boy!" He spat. "I will make you suffer."

"Think again!" Jazz growled as she activated the armor she "acquired" from FentonWorks. Jazz's anger and steely gaze made Dan shiver as the armor finished forming around her. "My little brother's life already has enough pain in it without you!"

Jazz grit her teeth and slammed her armored fists into the ghost repeatedly. As expected, the FentonWorks tech proved parasitic to Dan. When its fuel cells charged to bursting off of the evil double's energy, the wrath of an irate big sister unleashed on the ghost.

Poor fool, a weakened Dan tried to defend against Jazz's power suit. The assault kept coming. While Dan grew slower with time, Jasmine's strikes only grew faster and stronger. Finally, the redhead picked up Dan by his collar and glared at the ghost, his form smoking lightly and limp in her grip.

Succubus stood frozen as she watched Jazz beat Dan senseless. A shiver ran down the demon's spine as she truly felt her first emotion: fear. It was that fear that made Sam rush for the FentonWorks portal. The goth girl glowered as she looked back in the direction of Danny and his wench. _Jack is still a flexible pawn._ The thought brought a smile back to the girl's face as she slipped through the Fenton portal in her human form. _My sweet Danny, you WILL be mine!_

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	8. The Power of Guilt

Chapter Eight: The Power of Guilt

As Jack Fenton tinkered under the hood of the Specter Speeder, he became lost in thought about the event leading to this tune up. A few days ago, it started going haywire. It claimed that Maddie and Jazz were in the Ghost Zone, their bio-signatures popping up randomly every now and again from inside the ectoplasmic void. Jack couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

"Humans in the Ghost Zone?" Jack shook his head with a sigh. "The shear amount of ectoplasm in that dimension would compromise the person's biology and forever turn them into a ghoul."

To that end, Jack worked to repair the damaged vehicle. "Once I get the scanners fixed, Jazz and I will hunt down that scum Danny Phantom who took Maddie and Danny from me!"

Jack slammed his fist on the concrete floor in anger only to cry out in pain and shake his wounded hand quickly in an effort to get rid of the pain.

Unknown to Jack, Amorpho still substituting for Jazz, watched the man with an odd mix of mirth and fear, fear because of what Jack intended to do to Danny and mirth because of Jack just being Jack.

"What do you mean, Dad?" Amorpho asked as he walked up to the Specter Speeder. "Mom's gone on a trip to ask for more funding from Washington, DC." That lie seemed to keep Jack content. "Don't you remember the message she left us?"

Jack rolled out from under the Specter Speeder and looked up at the shapeshifter. "That still leaves Danny in the dark claws of that evil ghost freak Danny Phantom!"

Jack's hand clinched so tightly around the wrench, it gave a groan of protest. Jack looked at the wrench and sighed before he dropped it and got to his feet. Something troubled Jack Fenton about this whole situation, and it wasn't just the ghost element. Something deeper tore at Jack. The shapeshifter could read it in the man's face easily. Armed with this knowledge, Amorpho intended to dig deep into the information on psychology he learned from studying Jazz's books to better approximate her personality and attempt to help Jack with his psychological problems.

"I couldn't save my son."

Amorpho raised and eyebrow at this sudden admission. "What do you mean?"

Jack sighed and glared hard at the portal. "The portal exploded, Jazz!" Jack said as his voice and body shook with emotion. "Danny could have died!"

An unexpected voice joined the conversation. "He actually did die, Mister Fenton."

Sam walked up to the pair, and Amorpho felt the darkness radiate off of this creature as if she produced it herself. _She has a Darkness Core._ The thought terrified Amorpho because the only other ghost to possess such a Core was Pariah Dark himself. Amorpho shivered and wisely slipped away with a pair of Fenton Phones before he could be detected.

"Danny, we have a situation!"

"S-Sam…" Jack asked as he temporarily forgot about Amorpho in his shock. "…what?"

Sam walked over to Jack and knelt by him. "Your son died, and a ghost named Danny Phantom possessed his body."

Jack's face became twisted with rage as he digested this bit of information. "Why are you telling me this now when I could have destroyed that monster months ago?!"

Sam fought a grin at the rage she felt roll off Jack Fenton. "Now, he has your wife, daughter, and even Vlad under his control." Sam said with a mournful tone.

Jack glared at her, his blue eyes seeming to grow a few shades darker as he reached and took Sam's outstretched hand, "For Danny, for my son!"

Sam nodded and ran toward the Specter Speeder. Once Jack jumped into the vehicle with surprising agility for a man of his size, he began to push a series of buttons on the dash. Then, a GPS-like device sprang from the dash and a few lights began blinking.

"Three Human bio-signatures located, setting autopilot."

Jack looked at the machine in a mix of anger and sadness. "Only three?"

 _The combined ecto-energy from Vlad and Danny must be shielding one of them from the scanner._ Sam guessed but kept the theory to herself.

In the Ghost Zone, Danny shivered with intense cold rolling through his body as visible ice formed in front of his mouth and condensed into a small pile of snow at his feet. "H-How many ghosts are wa-watching us?!" He asked in slight fear.

Jazz paced in thought. "There's a relationship between observation and time, Little Brother."

"By the Ancients, what are you talking about?" Ember asked as she glared at Jazz. She unintentionally responded to two conversations and quickly walked away from the group.

"What is it, Amorpho?"

Amorpho tried to control his fear as he spoke. "Sam has a Darkness Core and is on her way to find you with Jack!"

Ember's eyes widened then settled into a fiery blaze. _That's why Danny's sensory power went nuts, not because of the Observants but because of her!_ "Thank you for the heads up, Amorpho. We'll be ready for them."

"When Danny was…" Jazz stooped and fought the lingering emotions attached to that event.

Maddie reached out to put a hand on her daughter for comfort, but a cautious and concerned look from Vlad made Maddie retract her hand. The look from Vlad spoke volumes. _It wouldn't end well for Maddie if she tried to console Jazz right now with the woman complicit in her brother's near annihilation._

Instead, Ember put a hand on Jazz's shoulder and smiled at her boyfriend's sister. "He's here, safe with us." Ember reminded Jazz softly as the redhead shook with restrained sobs.

"A ghost stopped time and let me get to Danny before he could be pulled out of existence."

Ember's eyes widened. "You met Clockwork?"

Jazz blinked away lingering tears. "Clockwork? I was going to call him 'Timekeeper'." Jazz said as her face crept into a small smile.

Ember sighed and facepalmed. "Anyway…you were saying?"

"Right…" Jazz said as she blushed slightly. "Time is linked to observation by the speed of light." The girl smiled, "Ergo, if Clockwork exists, which we know he does, then there must be observers to watch time..." She cast a worried look at Danny. "…and any subject of interest within time."

Danny groaned. "Great, there are ghost helicopter moms."

Danny shook his head and stood up. As he did so, however, a wave of weakness sent him back to the ground. In that moment of disorientation, Danny saw things.

 _A little girl, no older than twelve, ran from someone. She looked like a smaller version of Daniel, but the girl's hair was longer, and her clothes were different. If Danny was not mistaken, there were also streaks of purple and blue in her hair._

 _"Stay away from Vlad, Danielle…" The girl mumbled to herself as she shivered in disgust. "…and find Danny."_

Danny groaned and stood up as he rubbed his head. "'Daddy'?" Danny mumbled, having misunderstood the strange girl's last word. "What does she mean by…?" Danny froze as his eyes connected with Ember's.

"Sam's on her way here." Ember growled. "She's got Jack on her side."

Danny shook his head and bit his lip to keep from jinxing the situation with a seemingly deadly question for him and anyone near him. "Alright…" Danny said with a voice and tone too serious for him. "Jack and Sam won't listen until we make them. If they want a fight, that's what they'll get!"

Maddie looked at her son and trembled in fear of what Danny night do. "Don't do this, Danny! I-"

"Don't." Danny said with a freezing glare as his normally ectoplasmic green eyes turned icy blue. Vlad opened his mouth to speak only to be frozen in block of ice by Danny's Ice Core in the Halfling's anger. "We're done talking, Madeline."

Before Danny left, a rage rose up in his chest as he met Vlad's frozen face. "Go after anyone I care about, especially Danielle or Ember, and I will shatter you like glass!"

Vlad froze and yelled out in pain as his Duplicate turned into a popsicle from his lab in Wisconsin.. "Little Badger, how do you know about my project?" Vlad began pacing. "Amalgam Subject Four did escape earlier today." He mumbled aloud. "Perhaps she has a psychic link with Daniel."

Back in the Ghost Zone, Jazz looked at her brother's stark change in behavior after his moment of weakness in worry. "Danny…"

Ember looked at Jazz with reassurance. "I'll talk to him. It's common for a ghost's behavior to change temporarily when they discover a new ability."

Ember floated up to her boyfriend and framed his face in her hands. "Danny, talk to me. Why are you so angry?" She looked him in the eyes. "You're scaring your sister and me."

Danny growled as his hands flared with ice energy. "Vlad…he did something." With that cryptic response, Danny's body relaxed as the worry in Ember's eyes drained the rage out of him. "I'll explain after we deal with Sam and Jack." Danny brushed a lock of fiery blue hair out of her eyes. "I promise."

Something inside Ember twisted in pain at the Look Danny gave her, but as quickly as it came, the pain ceased. _That was weird…_ Ember thought but shook her head. _Right now, I have bigger things to worry about._

With that thought, Danny and Ember flew off to meet their foes. Something about this whole thing didn't sit well with Danny. Dark Dan beaten to a pulp by his sister followed up by Sam trying to recruit Jack against him. It seemed too loopy to be completely Sam's train of thought. Sure, Sam has her moments of departure from logic before, but this didn't seem like a "Sam" move. Sam wanted Danny. How did she hope to gain him by attempting to turn everyone against him?

Danny shook his head if these thoughts and stared straight ahead at the incoming Specter Speeder. Danny quickly moved out of the way as the lasers fired. He looked uncomfortably at the smoking hole in his costume. _Just how much punch did Jack add to those things?!_

"Stay clear of the lasers! They've been enhanced!" Danny warned as he looked around, trying to think of how to end this quickly. Theoretically, he could break the speeder apart if he could match resonance with it, but his own Ghostly Wail couldn't be fine tuned enough for the precision he needed. Then, he thought of Ember's guitar.

The Ghost Rocker looked at Danny as they dodged the speeding weapon. "Time to blow the roof off that thing!" Ember said with a scowl at Sam before she strummed her guitar and tore the speeder apart.

Without a thought, Danny rushed in and took his Dad to ground while Ember tangled with Succubus.

"When are you gonna learn?" Ember growled as her hair blazed. "You are never getting DANNY!"

With a blast as powerful as she could muster, Ember sent Sam flying under momentum into a drift in the GZ. "Good riddance…" the Ghost Rocker growled as she floated down to the door of her realm to try and defuse the situation she could feel building between the Fentons.

"Jack, calm down!" Maddie said as her husband marched up to her son and punched him in the face.

"Ectoplasm infused brass knuckles…" Jack growled. "…just for you!"

Danny spat a mix of ectoplasm and blood. "I won't fight you, Dad."

"You killed my son!" Jack growled as he punched Danny in the gut. "…and took over his body!" Jack sent a right hook into Danny's face.

As Danny stumbled he glared at Jack and wipe the blood from his busted lip.

"DAD," Danny growled as he felt Succubus egging them on with her powers even from her considerable distance away. "You need to stop!"

"I won't stop because Danny is gone!"

Danny sighed and quickly used the momentary break down to slip away to safety. Like how Ember calmed him down with her presence, this was something only Maddie could solve.

"Jack," Maddie said as she took off her hood and goggles and looked him in the eyes. "Our boy is safe and happy right here." She said as she brushed Jack's face while his hands trembled with sadness at his side.

"…but GHOST!"

"They're not all evil Jack." Maddie said as she nodded to Ember.

"Hello, Mister Fenton…" Ember said firmly as she offered him a handshake. "…I'm Ember McLain, Rockstar of the Ghost Zone."

As she spoke, Jack noticed a while flash in the corner of his vision but couldn't take his eyes away from Ember to investigate it.

Danny sighed and walked up next to her, bruises evident even in his human form. Jack watched Danny squeeze Ember's hand for comfort an intwine his fingers in her for strength before the Halfling spoke. Still reeling from Jack's punishment on his body, it was all Danny could do to be civil with the man as he spoke, "Dad, I am Danny Phantom and she is my girlfriend."

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	9. Finding the Phantom Family

**Author's Note:** I'm finally out of college for the semester, so I was able to finish this chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Nine: Finding the Phantom Family

Jack looked at his son in shock. Anger, confusion, and grief fought for control in Jack's mind. He shook his head and glared at Danny. Jack gripped Danny's hand and pulled him closer. Ugly purple bruises and blood greeted Hack as he looked over his son. It didn't make any sense. The knuckles were designed specifically to hurt ghosts and be virtually harmless to humans. Yet, here Danny stood in front of him, bruised and bloodied by a weapon intended for ghosts. Jack looked at the special brass knuckles in his hands and noticed a bit of ectoplasm and blood on them.

"Odd…" Jack muttered. "Ectoplasm and biological fluids like blood can't coexist." Jack Fenton shook his head. "The ectoplasm would consume the biological material."

Maddie shook her head and glared at Jack. "Look around, Jack." She said with irritation in her words. "We are all surrounded by ectoplasm, yet our bodies remain completely intact without protection!"

Danny shook his head and glared at his parents. "Maddie, Jack; I've got a little girl to find, and unless you want to stop bickering and help me find her, I'll be more than happy to ask Jazz or Amber to put you both back on the other side of the Fenton Portal." Danny's eyes blazed. "I don't have time for your nonsense!"

Maddie shivered. She recognized the look in her son's eyes. It was the look of someone who would do anything to find and save a child. Maddie smiled faintly at her son's determination and gave a nod of approval. Jack began to babble in incoherent protests as Maddie shook her head at him and dragged him toward the Specter Speeder.

"Be careful, Danny." Maddie whispered. "I'll try to make your father see sense."

With that promise, Maddie and Jack climbed into the vehicle and sped off toward the Fenton Portal. As they sped away from Jazz, Amber, and Danny; Danny realized he didn't know where to start looking to find his and Amber's apparent lost daughter. The young Halfling sighed. "Where do you start when you don't even know where to look?"

Ember sighed and picked up a fragment of ice from where Danny angrily tried to imprison Vlad's duplicate in ice after his vision of the little girl unknown to Ember. _I hope I know what I'm doing._

Ember then putt her hand on the hero's right shoulder and showed him the ice with a frown and slight look of fear in her eyes. "I think I know exactly where we can start looking, Babypop."

Danny and Jazz both looked at the Ghost Rocker in confusion because neither had ever seen the rock star fearful.

Then, Jazz's eyes lit up. "In Maddie and Jack's notes on the GZ; they mention somewhere called The Far Frozen, a mysterious place where strange ghosts guard an artifact called the InfiMap."

Amber looked at Jazz in shock.

Jazz raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's the only way to find her."

"You can't be serious!" Ember said in fear. "We can't just waltz in and take the InfiMap!" She floated around to face both Jazz and Danny. "Frostbite would have our afterlives!"

Danny raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "I know fire is your thing, Ember, but a little cold won't end you."

Ember shook her head and growled, "Not frostbite; Frostbite, Leader of the Far Frozen and guardian of the map!"

Jazz raised a brow and started laughing. "What?" The redhead asked. "It's funny."

Danny looked at Ember and squeezed her hand. The Ghost Rocker looked positively terrified, but her terror lessened at Danny's touch. "It's not funny, Jazz!" Danny growled. "She's truly terrified of these guys."

Ember shook her head. "Not them, Danny…the Far Frozen is the closest thing to a medical center in the Ghost Zone we have."

Danny nodded in understanding. "Amber, Jazz and I will be with you when we go, and we will only stay long enough to use the Map and get to Danielle."

The flames atop Ember's head picked up as her fear abated, replaced by confidence. Then, her face contorted in confusion. "Danielle?"

Danny sighed. "I'll explain when we find her." The boy chuckled at Ember's look of anger directed at him. "Don't be jealous. She's our daughter."

It seemed as if Clockwork entered at that moment because Ember and Jazz froze. Ember glared at Danny and strummed her guitar. Danny flew back and collided with Ember's Realm door. The boy groaned and slowly got back to his feet. Danny rubbed his head in pain. Then, he floated to her and gently pulled her into a hug until her rage evaporated.

"Do you honestly think I would do anything so diabolical considering your past?" The Halfling whispered as he looked at her, more hurt by her distrust than the attack itself.

"You said she's…"

Danny nodded. "Vlad built her from our genetics." Danny shivered with rage and disgust at the implications. "She is our daughter, but Danielle wasn't born."

Ember stood motionless with Danny's arms around her for a moment. Slowly, the Rocker closed her eyes and relaxed, content and safe in Danny's arms. Through a mist of fear that cleared as she estates in his arms, she heard a young and frightened girl whisper. It was soft as if the girl was afraid someone might hear her.

 _"I need to keep my strength up and find Danny."_

 _In her mind, Ember saw the girl look down at her left arm and rub what looked to be a tattoo of Ember's guitar._

 _"Then, I can find Mom."_

As Ember came back from the link with her daughter, her hair roared as the woman felt a strange anger rise in her core. The rage directed toward Vlad in that moment eclipsed the Rocker's fear of health establishments.

"Let's go, Babypop." Ember said with a hard edge to her words as she gently pushed her way out of Danny's embrace. "First, we see Frostbite. Then, I personally kick Vlad's ass back to Wisconsin and ICU!"

Once at the Realm of The Far Frozen, Ember had to float between the ceiling and the floor to keep from melting either surface because of heat generated by her anger. Danny seemed a bit fearful because he'd never seen this part of the GZ. Jazz was beside herself with joy because she couldn't wait to study the psychology of this new people.

Danny was surprised when a lumbering Yeti-like ghost ran up to him and gripped him in a bear hug.

"Huzzah!" He roared with a grin. "The Great One has come at last!"

Danny shook his head and gradually pushed out of the Yeti's grip. "You must have me confused with someone else, uhhh?"

The Yeti looked down at him. "Oh forgive me, Great One! I have neglected to tell my name. I am Frostbite, Leader of The Far Frozen."

Danny nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Frostbite, but we came here for help."

Frostbite looked at Danny quizzically for a moment. Then, his eyes sparkled with realization. "Ah, you seek the InfiMap to find your wayward daughter?"

Danny and Ember looked at the Yeti in confusion. Then, Danny asked, "How do you know about that?"

Frostbite's visage became serious as he motioned for the group to follow him. "Come, Great One. Learn of your and your family's destiny."

Ember gave her boyfriend a look. For a moment, the boy thought he heard Ember whisper: _"Your and your family's destiny", what does he mean by that?_

Danny gave an offhand shrug at Frostbite's words and followed the Yeti as he was told.

When the group came to a wall of the cave covered in glyphs and drawings, Danny could scarcely believe his eyes. On the far left of the wall, there stood a depiction of the accident that gave Danny his powers. Next to it was his battle with the Lunch Lady alongside drawings of Sam and Tucker. A few adventures later, Danny saw a scar in the wall as if it had shifted and destroyed the rest of the Prophecy after that point, only for the drawings to continue as if nothing happened.

"My dream…" Danny realized as he touched the depiction of Ember with a faint smile.

However, toward the end of the tapestry of ice, Danny felt his blood run cold. He, Ember, and Danielle could be seen fighting a monster with a Crown of Fire and a red ring that looked like it would be right at home in the DC Universe as a Red Lantern Corps Ring of Rage. Danny looked at the angry ghost he assumed was an ancient king and shivered as he saw the image on the ice writhe and distort so that a black feminine figure rested her arms lovingly around the king before Danny's eyes.

Frostbite noticed the earlier depiction of The Great One's former companion vanished from the Prophecy as this new consort appeared. He shivered. "It seems she is being groomed to be the Dark One's Queen when he awakens."

Danny shook his head in aggravation. "I knew she was acting strange when she tried to turn Jack against me."

Frostbite nodded. "She allowed herself to be corrupted by jealousy and hate. When that happened and she became Succubus, _he_ began to seep into her mind and influence her, Great One."

Danny's eyes hardened. "The King could send her to attack Danielle." He turned to Frostbite who seemed to be coming back from somewhere. A scroll in Frostbite's clawed right hand drew Danny's attention.

"This is the InfiMap, Great One." Frostbite said as he opened the scroll, and a plethora of Realm Doors appeared above the map. "All you need do is grip a portion of the Map and focus on your daughter." He explained as Jazz, Danny, and Ember gripped the Map.

At first, nothing happened. Then, Danny felt spectral energy surround him. Danny suspected the same was happening to Jazz and Ember. However, before Danny could think on it further, the Yeti's voice gave them a kind farewell.

"Safe journey, Phantom Family."

Then, the world around Danny reduced to blinding ectoplasmic green.

Danielle ran as she felt the wind pick up around her and felt a familiar chill roll through her body. The girl tensed. If Vlad has found her, Danielle knew she wouldn't go back peacefully. The rebellion inside her wouldn't give Vlad an easy time of it. Danielle has no real idea why, but ever since she became aware of herself, the child hated Vlad Masters with everything she had.

Stupid fruit loop of a dipstick!" Danielle muttered unconsciously.

As the sensation grew stronger, Danielle felt a bit of fear well up inside her but pushed it back as best she could. Finally, three figures flew out of green portal a few yards away from her. The pile groaned and separated into three people. As they rubbed their heads and recovered from however they got here, Danielle couldn't help a quiet giggle.

Danny's head shot up and looked directly at Danielle when he heard her laugh at them. "Are you alright?"

The question surprised Danielle. All she ever heard from Vlad her supposed father was concern about data on her powers but never Danielle herself. "I'm a little hungry, but other than that…"

Danielle trailed off and walked up to Ember in disbelief. "Vlad told me you were evil and wanted to control the world." Danielle said as she looked down. Then, she suddenly tackled the Rocker. "I knew he was wrong, Mommy!" She said happily with the innocence of a young child one much younger than twelve.

The warmth from Danielle tugged at Ember's core and pulled happy tears from her eyes as she held the girl who symbolized an innocence long forgotten by the years of her afterlife.

Danny walked up and smiled. "I didn't know you could cry, Amber."

A half-hearted glare aimed at her boyfriend failed miserably as he smiled and wrapped his arms around Ember. "So, what do you think?" He asked her softly. Ready to be a Mom?"

Ember eyed him knowingly. "About as ready as you are to be a Dad, Babypop."

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	10. A New Life

**Author's Note:** Consider this an early Christmas present to all my readers. Merry Christmas!

Chapter Ten: New Life

Danny sighed as he looked at his family and Jazz.

"What are you going to do now, Danny?" Jazz asked as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I'll go back to Fenton Works and keep you updated, Danny." Jazz promised. "They won't come after any of your family if I can help it."

Danny smiled at his sister and hugged her with a light shine in his eyes from waiting tears. Danny tried to force a smile but to Jazz, the face looked a bit misleading as if Danny was close to breaking but didn't want her to know. "Be safe, Jazz." He said as he pulled out of the hug. "Thank you for being there for me."

Jazz smiled as she hailed a cab. "I always will be, Danny…for all of you. Just call me."

As Danny waved goodbye to Jazz, his thoughts refocused on his and his small family's unique situation. Everyone thought he was dead, and if he was going to get Danni in school, there would be a few things he would need for her and Ember. One problem: he didn't have a means of income or a way to provide for his new family. Danny looked at Ember and Danielle with a small smile as he tried to bury these worries.

Then, Danny's phone rang. Uncertainty filled the Halfling as he answered. "Hello?"

A warm laugh met Danny's ears and instantly calmed his nerves. "How was your time in the GZ?"

Danny sighed with a mix of contentment and annoyance. "Tucker, it was relaxing for the most part except for Dan, Succubus, and Vlad putting moves on Maddie while Jack remained ignorant of the truth." Danny stopped for a moment and braced himself. "That's not all. Vlad tried to build a son for himself out of my and Ember's DNA!"

Tucker calmed himself after a momentary urge to vomit came over him. "So, you and Ember…"

Danny nodded. "…are her bio Mom and Dad."

"How do you plan on taking care of Danielle and Amber?"

Danny scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, Tuck. I'll think of something, but I can't go back to Fenton Works and live with those butchers mere feet from my daughter."

Tucker's eyes widened at the venom in Danny's tone but couldn't blame his best friend. They tried to take Danny apart without pause. Tucker shivered when he thought of what they would do to a less experienced and younger Halfling like Danielle. Tucker nodded unknown to Danny.

"I thought you might do this," Tucker said calmly. "I told Paulina you were coming back once the heat died down, and she asked me to invest part of her allowance into an account for you." Tucker stopped for a moment and looked at the account he set up a few months ago. "We used a good bit of the recent returns to buy and restore the property Amber lived in when she was alive. The restoration should be done in the morning."

Danny's mouth dropped open at the news. "Tucker, you didn't have to…"

Tucker glared at his friend through the phone. "Dude, you need a place for your family, income, and a stable home environment for Danielle. Stop being the hero for once and start thinking like a Dad."

Danny sighed in defeat and chuckled. "Thanks Tuck. I really appreciate this."

Tucker smiled. "No problem, Danny, but you probably want to change your names, so certain people will have a harder time finding you."

"Right, uhh…"

Ember giggled at Danny as she and Danielle walked to stand beside Danny. "What are you waiting for, Babypop?" She asked. "He's probably siting there waiting with the files open."

Danny thought for a moment. "Paul Giest, Amber Giest, and Danielle…"

Danny stopped when he saw said girl glare at him and shiver in fear.

"I hate that name! It reminds me too much of Vlad." She spat the name with a bit of anger but a lot of hurt. "I don't want that name anymore!"

Danny raised an eyebrow at the tears in his daughter's eyes and wiped them away with a gentle hand and a soft, understanding expression. "What would you like to be called, then?"

"Mom and I talked about it while you were catching up with Uncle Tucker. I like Kara."

Tucker seemed to have stars in his eyes at the name. "Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, that Kara?"

The younger Halfling took the phone from her father after she asked to talk to her uncle. "…and does Paulina know you have a crush on Supergirl?"

"I'm a Techno-Geek!" He defended. "Comic book crushes are part of the deal!"

Danni giggled. "I'm just messing with you, Uncle Tuck."

Tucker cleared his throat. "Yeah…anyway, why her?"

"She's Kryptonian like Superman; both are heroes. I'm half-Ghost like Dad, and I'd like to think we're both heroes."

Tucker nodded as Danielle handed the phone back to Danny. "So that's Mr. Paul Giest, Mrs. Amber Giest, and Kara Giest."

Danny blushed. "Tucker! We're not married!"

Tucker only laughed. "You certainly bickered like an old married couple when you two first met." Tucker shook his head. "Tell Ember there's a surprise waiting for her when you get here."

Danny blinked. "You're waiting at the house for us?"

Tucker nodded. "I want to show you around the place." He shrugged on his end of the phone. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Tomorrow, Tucker." Danny said as he felt a vein in his head start pulsing. "We've all had a long day."

The techno-geek nodded. "There's a guest bedroom at my parents' place." Tucker suggested. "I'll let my folks know you're coming."

Danny smiled as a bit of the stress headache went away. "Alright…see you in a few minutes, Tuck."

As Danny hung up, he couldn't help but be curious about how Tucker put all this together so quickly. Danny decided he would ask about that later. Right now, he and Ember took to the air with Danielle trailing a little behind her parents as they flew to Tucker's house. Over the flight, Danny couldn't help but feel a bit of fear. This emotion seemed strange to Danny because he trusted Tucker with his life. He glanced over at Ember and saw her shaking as she flew. _I'm picking up_

 _Ember's emotions? That's new._ With conscious effort, Danny tried to share his trust of Tucker with her. _I'm trying to share emotions._ He thought. _…intangible concepts, with Ember! This is so…_

Glancing at his girlfriend a second time, Danny smiled triumphantly and felt a bit of shock because Ember's body language completely changed. She once again flew with confidence as if she were on stage, rocking the house to screaming and adoring fans.

"Don't worry about Tucker." Danny said as he flew close enough and squeezed her hand. "He's a good guy, if a bit goofy."

Ember nodded. "It's Paulina that's the wildcard."

Danny nodded. "Unfortunately, she was part of the A-Listers before my little escape into the GZ." Danny felt a bit of anger, but couldn't really tell if it was his or Ember's. "I crushed on her as a freshman, but she quickly established she didn't want anything to do with me or my friends. She's rather hang with Dash and his cronies."

Ember sighed. "High school will always be the same no matter the time period."

Danny looked at Ember and squeezed her hand, knowing high school was torture for the Rocker when she was alive. "I have a feeling 'A-Lister Paulina' was just a mask."

Ember's eyes glowed dangerously for a second before Ember calmed her jealousy. _Danny chose you, not Paulina._ To reassure herself of this fact, Ember looked at Danny while he flew next to her and saw only a small hint of pain that she suspected would always be there. "Danny, look at me." Ember said as she stopped flying and floated in midair. "You could have sealed me away in that…thing," she reminded him. "You could have treated all the ghosts of the GZ like monsters, but you didn't. You chose me, Johnny, and Kitty instead of your biological family. Why?"

"You're not monsters." Danny said emphatically. "You and the other ghosts are just people who have problems, not too different from Humans. The only real difference between you guys and Humans is your state of life." Danny sighed. "My view on ghosts wasn't that different from Jack and Maddie's in the beginning." Danny stopped and gently pulled Ember close. "Then, I had a dream about how you died, and everything changed."

"You…you saw everything?" Ember asked as she looked at him with wide eyes of fear.

Danny shook his head and rubbed Ember's back. "I tried to rescue you from the house as it burned around us."

Ember nodded with a faint smile. "That night seemed to change both of us for the better."

Danny nodded and softly kissed her as a loud "EEEWWW!" sounded off from Danielle.

Ember broke the kiss and giggled at their daughter's reaction as Danny gently took the Ghost Rocker's hands. "I'm not going anywhere." He told her softly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"Are you sure, Babypop?" Ember asked with a worried expression.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Danny's eyes hardened as he continued. "If anyone is stupid enough to mess with my family, they deserve the beating I'll give them."

With a soft landing in front of the Foley Household, Danny looked back at his daughter and motioned for her to shift to her human form. Danielle…no Kara smiled at her father and did as instructed. Danny reached up and rang the door bell. After a moment, Tucker met them at the door.

"Come in. Mom is just finishing supper." Tucker nodded to his best friend and stepped aside.

"We don't want to intrude, Tuck."

Tucker waved his friend off. "When I told Mom about you and Kara, Paul; she insisted." He shivered. "You do NOT wanna argue that point with Mom. For your own health, don't try, dude."

Danny chuckled. "Alright, I get it."

"Good."

With that settled, Danny and Kara walked into the dining room as the scent of meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy met the two Halflings noses. The smell of Human food after so long sustaining himself on the GZ's ectoplasm proved almost too much for Danny, but the young father managed to control himself as he felt Ember's invisible hand slip into his.

"Where's your wife tonight, Mr. Giest?" Mrs. Foley asked politely. "I would love to meet her."

 _She's invisible right next to me._ Danny thought before he answered the woman. "She's staying at the house to oversee the final touches." Danny explained smoothly. "She can be…" Danny paused, unsure of how Ember would react to his next words. "…picky about details and has an artistic eye for things like that."

A contented and subtle warmth flowed through Danny from his hand over his body. _Glad to see your not painting me as a bitch._

Danny froze and sat ramrod straight at Ember's words. _How?!_

 _That's for me to know and you to find out later, Babypop._

Mr. Foley noticed Danny's rapid shift in posture and raised and eyebrow as the boy continued to eat. "Are you alright?"

Danny smiled and nodded to elevate the man's worry. "Just a opossum running over my grave."

Ember lightly slapped his leg. _I resent that remark._

 _Sorry._ Danny thought meekly. _It was the response that popped in my head._

"So, how long will you be staying with us?" Mrs. Foley asked.

Kara smiled at her. "Just tonight, Uncle Tucker says the house should be done tomorrow."

"I hope we're not any trouble." Danny stated.

Mrs. Foley laughed at him. "Not at all, dear." She turned to them with a downcast expression. "Tucker's been pretty glum since…"

Danny nodded and frowned. _…since I pretty much died a few months ago._

"I'm glad to see Tucker has more friends than just Paulina." From her tone, it was clear the woman didn't much care for Tucker's girlfriend.

"Mom, please, not now…"

Danny couldn't help himself. "My wife isn't exactly the person my parents wanted for me," Danny told them. _Far on the other end of the living-dead spectrum in fact…_ Danny added in his mind before he continued. "However, I couldn't be happier than I am now with her."

With his peace said, Danny got up from the table, his formerly ravenous appetite lost. Kara gave the Foleys a confused and slightly shocked expression before she followed her father to the guest room.

Ember appeared lying on the bed next to Danny and looked at him in worry. "What's wrong, Danny?"

"Why can't they see how happy he is with her?" Danny muttered. "If they only knew you were a ghost," Danny said as he turned to Ember with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Then, they would change their tune about Tucker and Paulina really fast."

Ember brushed Danny's cheek with a smile. "They'll come around for Tucker." She assured Danny. "It'll just take time."

When her parents stopped talking, Kara saw her opening and dive-bombed the bed to land between her Mom and Dad. "Besides, we have a new house to explore together tomorrow!"

Danny chuckled. "Good night to you too, Kara."

With that said, the Phantom Family drifted off to sleep.

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